Considering the Sikh American experience.

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At an event at the White House on Saturday, President Barack Obama paid tribute to the country’s best police officers during 2013, including the eight who responded to the mass shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek last August: I already talked about one of this year’s Top Cops, Brian Murphy, in my State of the Union address. When a gunman opened fire on a temple in Wisconsin and Brian was the first to arrive, he did […]

In his proclamation to commemorate the month of May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, President Obama not only celebrates Asian American/Pacific Islander communities, but also recognizes the continuing challenges these communities have faced in this country: For many in the AAPI community, that story is one also marked by lasting inequality and bitter wrongs. Immigrants seeking a better life were often excluded, subject to quotas, or denied citizenship because of their race. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders […]

The Punjabi film “Sadda Haq” (loosely translated as “our rights”) — telling a story about the insurgency in Punjab, India, during the 1980s and 1990s — opens today around the world. Not so ironically, the film has just been banned by the Punjab government, the land in which the film is set. “The Punjab government has imposed ban on the screening of movie ‘Saada Haq’ till further orders. This step has been taken to maintain communal harmony in the state,” […]

For each of five days, I looked at what I considered as the Top 5 Sikh American Stories of 2012: The Oak Creek Massacre Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana Victories in employment equality The inspiring grace of Balpreet Kaur Sikh Americans celebrate a century All of these stories were significant in relation to Sikh Americans during the year. However, there were several events during 2012 that arguably could be considered among the top five stories (and, while the “top five” list […]

As mentioned yesterday, the White House invited Sikhs from across the country to Washington, D.C. to commemorate the 543rd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak today, as it had in 2009 and 2010. Read more here.

As in 2009 and in 2010, the White House will be holding a special ceremony on Friday to commemorate the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, born in 1469. Manmeet Singh Grewal, from Modesto, California, is among 150 Sikhs who have been invited to attend: “For me, it’s an honor,” Grewal said Wednesday morning. “Furthermore, it’s a honor for the entire Sikh community.” …What will he say if he has a chance to speak to the […]

Sikhs around the world are celebrating the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith who was born in 1469. As he has done in his previous years in office (2010, 2011), President Barack Obama has offered his felicitations on the birth anniversary. In his remarks, the President also made mention of the victims of the shooting at the Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin in August. It was this President who was the first to celebrate the […]

Last week was a historic moment for the American Sikh community, as the White House held the first-ever briefing to discuss Sikh civil rights issues: For those of us in the audience, it was a deeply moving moment – particularly when the briefing started out with Bole So Nihaal, Sat Sri Akal. Yes, a jakara in the White House! There was something symbolic in that moment. Once, a long time ago, Sikhs would have made the jakara call while raising […]

Today, Sikhs across the world are celebrating the birth of Guru Nanak (the founder of Sikhism and the first in a line of ten Sikh Gurus in human form), who was born in 1469. The Guru of the Sikhs today is the Sikh holy book called the Guru Granth Sahib, which contains over 970 of Guru Nanak’s verses. The religion that sprouted from his following became Sikhism, but Guru Nanak is highly regarded among Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist communities as […]